Saturday, September 15, 2012

Anniversaries and Instagram


September always makes me reminisce - especially this year.
I arrived in Australia in September 1992 - twenty years ago.
Typing that sentence, it seems incredible to me that it has been two decades.
I still remember the days leading up to leaving Scotland, packing up my flat and alternating
between excitement about the adventure ahead, and tears and anxiety about 
leaving friends and family behind. My parting words to my darling Mum in Glasgow
were "don't worry, I'm only going for a year". And yet here I am, 20 years later.
That guilt still stays with me, and I wonder if it's just me, or if anyone who has
 made a new life for themselves in a different country, leaving behind loved ones, 
 ever feels completely at home in their "new"home . 
Even when the new home has been home for 20 years.

It was however a great time of year to arrive: not too humid, gorgeous sunny days
 and a city coming alive in spring. For the first month in Brisbane I lived in accommodation 
at the hospital where I was employed in South Brisbane. This was close to everything, 
especially South Bank, which seemed idyllic to me at the time. It's Jacaranda season
soon and I remember that year seeing them for the first time and falling in love
with their beautiful colour, and the carpet of violet petals they would leave 
on the ground.

On another note, it's the one year anniversary of me starting this blog.
I don't post as frequently as I'd like, and I've mentioned before that I have been
enjoying Instagram which is like a condensed but more immediate form of blogging. 
Turns out I have Instagram to thank for my most recent furniture purchase too!

I had been keeping an eye out for a table to fit a long space in our living room upstairs.
I hadn't seen anything at all that would fit the space.
Lo and behold the lovely Katherine posted a photo on Instagram and my 
eagle eye spotted it. A flurry of measurements later and I became the proud
owner of this table:



I love the fact that this table has been pre-loved, and that it's my turn to give 
it a home. Many of you know Katherine, she is such a helpful, kind and warm 
person. She often puts photos of her lovely items destined for either the WAC or the 
shop at the Cottage Garden Nursery on her Instagram feed.
You can follow her there: @katherinetheoldboathouse

And in the latest chicken news:
escape attempts : five
eggs laid: NONE

Those statistics better start turning around soon........

Have a good weekend
xx






8 comments:

  1. Hi Fiona, I first came to Brisbane on temporary secondment with no plans of moving, but the day I arrived here in June 2011 I fell in love with the place and I knew this is where I wanted to live. I packed up my life and moved up permanently the following year and haven't looked back. xx

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  2. The years creep up on you don't they? Gosh, I so remember telling my mum that I was going to Australia. I had the same conversation .... "it's only for a year" and that was 2005! We landed in September too so I also had the jacaranda wonder. As you know I completely get the old home/new home stuff....and the guilt bit. I'm sure we're not alone with that one either!
    x

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  3. Oh Fiona - you're not alone. I left Melbourne in 1993 and said to my mum "I'll only be gone a year". Don't the years fly by.
    I love the table you got from Katherine and it looks like it was made for that spot!
    Happy blog anniversary.
    Enjoy,
    Kylie x

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  4. I was only coming to Australia for 6 months (6 years ago)... Admitedly I did have plans to go to NZ after that for longer (still 'on the way')... The guilt about leaving family and friends is huge., and there every day....
    Love the pics, the new house is as gorgeous as I would have imagined :). Glad I stumbled across your blog, so now I can keep in touch another way :)
    Jen x

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  5. Happy anniversary! Twenty years! Such a familiar story, but I promise I'm coming home to Australia very soon...

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  6. Brisbane is just the best isn't it? I love travelling the world but there is no other home for me than this gorgeous hilly humid town. Love your table, I have bought a few things from Katherine at the WAC. Good luck with the chooks, if you can even catch yours you are doing better than we were, the eggs to seem to take a good few weeks after they come home. mel x

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  7. Fiona was one of my bridesmaids and a witness to my marriage only a few months before she left. 'Nuff said :-( xx

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